


My Little Princess

by Swordmaster9000



Series: I Choose My Own Fate! ~A Fire Emblem Fates Collection [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Full Fanfiction, I love my FE family, Spoilers, Yet Another Ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-06-08 16:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6863590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordmaster9000/pseuds/Swordmaster9000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>**SPOILERS**<br/>**STORY CONTAINS INFORMATION FROM ALL THREE PATHS AND THE DLC, HIDDEN TRUTHS**<br/>Many years ago, the young Prince Xander gained a new addition to his family: a younger sister named Corrin. Out of the five Nohrian siblings, only Xander knew they were not related by blood. Despite knowing this fact, he still loved her very deeply. As time passed, a war sparked between Nohr and the neighboring kingdom of Hoshido. Corrin made a choice; she would find a way to settle the peace between both kingdoms without directly siding with one, breaking Xander's heart. Eventually the two would be reunited, but the relationship is different than before.<br/>A love story between Xander, crown prince of Nohr, and Corrin, a princess from a foreign country.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Plot-Related Information Organization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief timeline of the events pre-Fates, including births and important events. **FULL OF SPOILERS**  
> Used for organizational purposes, labeling ages, etc.  
> Information about the Deeprealms will be added later ((when I figure out what I want to do with it LOL)).  
> **UPDATE**  
> Info on Deeprealms has been added. It's messed up, but so's the whole concept. Feel free to let me know what you think! I appreciate constructive feedback/help in writing this ridiculous story.

**Year 1 is the start of important events to the story**

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May 1, Year 1 - Ryoma is born to King Sumeragi and Queen Ikona

October 27, Year 1 - Xander is born to King Garon and Queen Katerina

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August 18, Year 3 - Hinoka is born to King Sumeragi and Queen Ikona

November 30, Year 3 - Camilla is born to King Garon and a concubine

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March 3, Year 4 - Azura is born to Queen Arete and the King of Valla

Year 4 - Queen Katerina dies

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January 1, Year 5 - Corrin is born to Princess Mikoto and Anankos's heart

Valla is destroyed, King of Valla is killed, and Arete and Azura flee to Nohr while Mikoto and Corrin flee to Hoshido

King Garon marries Arete

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June 30, Year 7 - Leo is born to King Garon and a concubine

December 14, Year 7 - Takumi is born to King Sumeragi and Queen Ikona

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Year 8 - Arete dies

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March 19, Year 9 - Elise is born to King Garon and a concubine

April 9, Year 9 - Sakura is born to King Sumeragi and Queen Ikona

Queen Ikona dies during childbirth

Sumeragi marries Mikoto

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Year 11 - King Garon kills King Sumeragi and kidnaps Corrin, who is brought to Nohr

Year 11 - Azura is kidnapped and brought to Hoshido

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Year 23 - Events of Fire Emblem Fates start

 

_**Deeprealms** _

The biggest plot hole of them all, just because they wanted to add children characters again, but couldn't use time skip like GotH or time travel like Awakening. So we have...  _the baby realms._ After doing some research, it takes a few weeks for a baby to grow up into adulthood according to time in the "real world" as I'll call it. It's all an interesting concept, but they're forgetting about one thing:  _Kana_. 

Kana is clearly the youngest child, so he can't be a twin to anybody ((and it's horrible to think that Corrin would keep Kana with her for a couple more days than Siegbert, even if I hate that name)). But it also takes 9 months to have a baby. We know that Fates takes place over a period of a few years ((according to Shiro's supports with his mother, Ryoma has been writing his wife love letters "over the years" and since they get married during the war, the war has lasted what I'll say 3 years by the end of the story)). 

If you know my "Two Halves of a Greater Whole" work, then you know I am very picky when it comes to detail. So this is me trying to figure all this out. I am thinking that a day in the real world is about a year in the Baby Re--er, I mean Deeprealms. If the average child is about 18 years old, that would be about two and a half weeks from their birth. What I'm going to have is pregnancy starts first in the real world, then birth, and then the child is born and put into the Deeprealms. Mother is in the Deeprealms recovering from pregnancy. After a while, pregnancy happens again, most of it happens in the Deeprealms, baby is born in real world, and tossed back into the Deaprealms. About a few days pass between birth of the first and second babies in the real world, but it's actually a few years difference between the two. 

I honestly dislike this plot hole so much, I was about to toss this whole concept out the window and just suddenly have the children appear, but since I'm me, I have to write this. Everything else will be a lot better than this, I promise. This part will be the messiest part in the story, I swear. 

Thanks for bearing with me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE READING: This work contains MANY spoilers for those who haven't played the Revelation path of Fire Emblem Fates. I chose to do Revelation path because it's my favorite path and not as many people die. Plus I think it would be interesting to see Xander and Ryoma occasionally getting jealous over Corrin's attention.  
> Anyway, this first "chapter" of this work has gone over some of the major plot points (such as a timeline of when things occur like births, major deaths, etc.) and head cannons that will be used in the story, especially revolving around the Deeprealms.  
> If you've read my previous work, "Two Halves of a Greater Whole", you know that I'm very thorough and I work every last detail out.  
> This will be another long one, so hold on tight as I go through major chapters of Fates. This is going to be different from my previous work as it will be told from the first person perspective. I don't know if Xander will be speaking most of the time or all of the time, but you will hear him speak his mind.  
> Corrin is the name of this avatar since it's the default (like Robin in Awakening). I've played through all three routes, so I might use information from the other routes that wasn't shared in Revelation.  
> Remember, don't come crying to me if you see spoilers that you didn't want to see. I have marked this several times that it is a spoiler fanfiction.  
> I will also be using information gathered from a lot of the supports (yes, I have looked through a LOT of the supports, though I'm not done yet), but feel free to (nicely) correct me if there is anything misleading or incorrect about the information placed.  
> Whew, I think that's everything. Enjoy the show and thanks for bearing with me! Thanks for reading!


	2. Prologue: A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crown Prince Xander of Nohr walks around Castle Krakenburg in the middle of the night, awaiting his father's return from Cheve to discuss a possible treaty with King Sumeragi of Hoshido. A few surprises await the young prince when his father returns.

It was the middle of the night, yet still, there was no sign of Father.

Normally, as the nine-year-old crown prince of Nohr, I was forced to go to my bedroom by this late of hour. However, there was no one around to stop me. The castle was enormous, especially to one so young as I. With each passing moment, I grew more anxious, more worried. What if something happened to Father? What if King Sumeragi killed him? No no, that wouldn't happen. That  _couldn't_ happen, I thought. Father was the strongest man I knew. I imagined that even once I could wield the sacred blade, Siegfried, I would still be no match for the King of Nohr. 

Alone with my thoughts, time continued to pass me by as I waited. Camilla and Leo were already in bed and baby Elise wouldn't be able to stay up with me even if I wanted her to. I was alone. 

I continued to walk down the vacant hallways leading from the throne room to the entryway of the castle. Various kinds of paintings and tapestries decorated the the cold, stone walls, though they did nothing to increase the emotional warmth of the place. Everything was filled with death in Nohr, it seemed. I should count myself among the lucky as I could actually live to see the castle each day. Some of my siblings never had the chance. After many assassination attempts, poisonings, and murderous counts of bloodshed, only Camilla, Leo, Elise, and I survived. Elise was still a toddler, so who knows if she would ever make it into adulthood. I would pray to the gods that no more of us would be killed. 

After another little while with my thoughts, I could hear the large doors in the entryway open. My body immediately raced to the source of the sound. 

"Place the child in the Northern Fortress," my father's voice commanded the soldiers who followed, "after she's finished with her...weeping."

"Yes, my king!"

A child? What could they have possibly meant by that? Why would Father bring a child back from Cheve? As I turned a corner, I could see Father making his way to his chambers.

"Father!"

"Xander. What are you doing up so late?" he snarled. A wave of fear came over me. He's never acted this way before.

"I-I was waiting for you to come home," said I. We continued walking. "How did the negotiation go with King Sumeragi?"

"What negotiation?" His reply almost seemed like a chuckle. "A man who can't prepare himself properly has no right to negotiate. So I disposed of him."

I couldn't believe what my father was telling me. "You...you killed King Sumeragi?"

"He was no king, but he did end up as a nice pin cushion for the archers."

"Father...how..." I had no words. This was one of the first times father had done something as drastic and as horrible. But there was no way I could stop him. 

"Enough, Xander." I stopped in my tracks, but Father kept on walking. "How about you go visit your new little sister? It might finally stop her sniveling. Sumeragi was even foolish enough to bring with him a pawn. A weak one, but a pawn nonetheless."

I didn't know what else to say. Eventually Father faded from sight and I was once again lost in my thoughts. "A sister?" Even though I was disgusted at what my father had done, even though I had no power to object his choices, a little fire sparked my heart. I had another little sister! Without a second thought, I ran back to the entryway to see if she was still there with the guards. My heart beat faster and faster as my walk turned into a run; I didn't want to miss this opportunity to visit my new little sister.

Thank gods she was still there, even though she was crying.

"Stop your sniveling, you pest!" I heard a soldier cry out at her. He raised the blunt end of his lance, as if to bash her head in with it. The girl began to cry harder. I couldn't allow it.

"Stop this at once!" I called out to the soldiers.

"P-prince Xander!" The four of them there returned to their upright position, lances down and faces up. 

With a motion of my hand, I ordered them to return outside and ready the horses to bring this girl to the northern fortress like my father commanded. I could override some orders, but not my father's, much to my disdain. As they left one by one, I knelt down to the little girl, who continued to sob on her knees. 

"Hey there, little one," I tried to calm her down. She looked up at me, but still looked terrified at the sight of me. "You must be so scared and confused. Aren't you?"

The little girl nodded.

I gave her a little smile. "That's okay. We all get scared sometimes." That didn't help calm her down. I moved a little closer to her. I motioned my right hand to my chest. "My name is Xander. I'm your new big brother." 

"Big...Brother?"

"Yeah, that's right! But I can't be a good big brother if I don't know your name. What's your name, little one?"

"Corrin."

"Corrin, huh?" I turned my gaze over to her hair, her silky, silver hair. "May I touch your hair?" She said nothing. I moved my right hand towards her and she tensed up, but didn't put up a fight when I took a clump of her hair. I rubbed it in between my fingers; it was very beautiful and unique. "You have very pretty hair, Corrin."

Though she said nothing, she extended her little arms towards my head, placing her small hands on my cheeks and slowly moving them up to touch my blond hair. "Big brother has pretty hair." Corrin finally let out a smile and even a little giggle as she gently pulled on one of my light curls and watched it gently bounce once she let go. As she played with my hair, I couldn't help but notice her eyes--her blood red eyes--and her pointed ears. 

"You're an interesting little one, aren't you?" I said to her, standing up and helping her to her feet. Her feet were bare, scraped, and dirty.  _You poor thing,_ I thought. "We're going to take you to your new home, okay? You'll get to meet your new older sister, younger brother, and younger sister soon, too. Does that sound good?"

Corrin nodded. 

"But you'll have to be good, okay? Here, let's take you out to the carriage waiting for you."

"With horsies?!" she cried

I gave her a chuckle. "Yes, with horsies." Her face lit up with joy. Oh, how I loved to see that face light up. We went outside, where a carriage awaited her in the dark and cloudy night. Before she went in, Corrin went back into a panic, but instead of sobbing on the ground, she clung to my waist real tight and didn't want to let go. "Don't leave me, Big Brother Xander. Don't leave me. Don't let them hurt me."

After looking at her tear-filled eyes, I caressed her head gently as it snuggled against my abdomen. With this, I made her a promise.

"It's okay, Little Princess. I will protect you, no matter the cost."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prologue is done! I'm getting back in the swing of things, so hopefully this wasn't unbearably awful. It'll get better, I promise. Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or whatever. I greatly appreciate it!


	3. Premonition: A Possible Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A possible future for our two heroes. Would Xander make the ultimate sacrifice for Corrin should the time ever come?  
> Based on chapter 26 of Birthright.

"You've done well, Corrin..."

Something didn't feel right. I sat on the stone ground, just outside of the throne room at Castle Krakenburg, the same room I remember walking through and past many times over the course of my lifetime. The same room I would have hoped to take Corrin through someday to meet our father face to face. 

I looked up to see my beloved little princess. Her eyes were filled with tears as more flowed down her cheeks. Why was she crying? I wanted to wipe away those tears, to tell her everything would be alright, to remind her that I would always be there to protect her. But I couldn't move. I had no strength left in me. I felt nothing, like my body was ready to fade away.

"N-no," Corrin said. "I'm still so weak. I'm still no match for you..." Her eyes went from guilt ridden to those filled with anger and disappointment. **"** Why did you let me win, Xander? TELL ME! WHY?!"

Once again, I could not find the strength to say anything. 

"Answer me! I fought so hard to be stronger... But it's still not enough! You still...ended up protecting me in the end... It's just like when we always trained together... It's just like..." Corrin was barely coherent with her cries. Her voice trembled, her face turned red.

What was going on? I couldn't remember anything that had happened prior to this moment. Had we fought with real intent instead of sparring? Why would I do such a thing when I had promised as a child to protect her? I looked down to see blood streaming down my body and across my armor. I expected to feel pain, but I didn't. Instead, I felt...regret.

"Dry those eyes, little princess," I told her. Her crying did not cease. There must have been some way to calm her down; it broke my heart to see her cry so forcefully. "Do you know what my favorite memory is?" I asked, trying to lift a smile enough that she could see some light amidst the darkness that had clouded her life. "Sharing a laugh with you, Elise, Camilla, and Leo around the dinner table. I think Leo had his boots on the wrong feet that day... In my heart I have so many memories of us siblings laughing together... Those were the happiest days of my life." My thoughts turned to those times. Though those days were fewer than I desired, I enjoyed every moment the five of us had together. We would visit our dear little princess in the northern fortress together so we would have time as a full family. Though chaotic, those were the times I felt most at peace. 

"Then why did it have to end this way? Why did we have to fight?!" cried Corrin. "If you had just listened to Elise, or to me... Neither of you would have had to die!"

_What happened to Elise?_ I thought. The last time I saw her, it was the night prior. She was still alive and well, showing her cheerful and joyous personality to us siblings. Did something happen to her?

"You can't throw your life away on 'if only', little princess," my lips moved. It was as if I could not control what I said to her, as if this was all predestined. "You chose a path... but I never had that choice. I am the crown prince of Nohr. My fate was sealed the day I was born." What I said I had always believed. I had no choice in life but to become the leader of my people one day. I had no opportunity to choose my own fate, but I remember that Corrin did. Ever since she was brought to Nohr more than twelve years ago, I knew she was special. I knew she was destined for greatness. She could choose her own fate, but I couldn't. I suppose I envied her for that.

"Xander..."

"I'd like to think that things could have turned out differently in another world. We could have ended the war together, fighting side by side," I coughed. I knew I wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"Xander! Stay with me!"

"I'm here, Corrin. I... I'm sorry... I let you slip away from me. As Crown Prince... I didn't have the option of picking sides like you or Leo or the rest. So, I really did intend to kill you for the good of Nohr. But in the end... I did what I always told you not to do. I let my feelings overrule my duty. In the end, it was my undoing. Is that...is that justice?" At that point, it didn't matter what I said. Though my body felt cold and I could not move, I could feel my heart ache.

"That's not fair, Xander! You think you can just say something like that and die on me? I'll never be as good as you, Xander... I see that now. I've always looked up to you... You can't leave me!"

Though my heart felt crushed at the weight of responsibility of Nohr and my family, her words gave me a little bit of comfort. Though I failed in one way, whatever it may have been, I did not fail in my promise to protect Corrin. 

"You have already prevailed, little princess. Don't you see? I couldn't lead this world... or Nohr... into peace. But you... you can. And you will. You can do the things I couldn't. That's how you'll surpass me...in the end..."

"Xander..."

I looked at her one last time and smiled. "I'm counting on you, Corrin.... Father.... Garon... he's.... he's..." I could barely speak as I coughed my fleeting breaths. "He's not what he used to be..."

"Xander... I think I understand. I promise to stop him!"

"Thank you, Corrin. Now, it's time... to say good-bye... Please... don't cry..." At that moment, the world began to grow dark. As I faded away from existence, I could hear the cries of the princess one last time. Was it possible to have a broken heart even if you were dead?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a weird experience, waking up from a dream where the last thing I remembered was dying in the arms of my little sister. It's as if a jolt of electricity ran through my body, coaxing me to wake up immediately. From my bed, I sat up, looking outside the windows on my left where the curtains blocked half of it. The curtains didn't do much good as Nohr was almost always a dark, cloudy, and overall dreary place. I had no doubts that it was morning, but before I could find the strength to get up, I looked down at my hands.

_Move,_ I mentally commanded my right hand. My fingers curled. I let out a deep sigh; at least I could still easily move my body. That whole experience was only a dream, though I felt the word "only" hardly did it justice. More of a nightmare. I raised my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beat normally through the white cotton shirt I wore. At that moment, I realized how quick my breathing had become. I attempted to calm myself down, but I couldn't get that dream out of my mind.

Would I ever have to kill Corrin for the good of Nohr? Was I willing to fight her and potentially kill her for the sake of my country? I shook my head while cradling it in my left hand. Hopefully I would never have to make such a decision, but I knew that as my duty as crown prince of Nohr, the answer was obvious. As much as I resented it, the fact that I would have to be willing to kill anyone for the sake of Nohr--including Corrin--remained in tact. 

I ripped off the velvet-like blankets from off of my body and moved over to the edge of my bed. While stretching my tired arms, I remembered that day was a very special day; it was the day I would fight Corrin. That day she was going to prove herself to Father so she could finally exit that godforsaken tower. Maybe the idea of fighting her was what gave me enough anxiety to cause such a burdening nightmare. I truly did not want to fight her, especially after that dream, but I couldn't let anyone else know about that. It was my duty, both as Prince of Nohr and as Corrin's older brother. 

I made my way to the mirror across the room, where a fresh bowl of water and a towel awaited me there. As I washed my face, I stared into the mirror, water dripping from the sides of my face. I was Crown Prince of Nohr. Nothing could change that, not even Corrin. Though she was not my blood sister, I still adored her as such. But the thought of picking duty over family crushed my heart. Hopefully I would never have to do such a thing.

I shook my head and called forth one of the castle servants who attended me. "Ready my armor immediately," I commanded, standing up straight and away from the mirror. I looked over at the side of my bed where a sword--Siegfried--lay sheathed upright and ready for battle.

"I have a princess to train."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter finished! Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be about Corrin vs. Xander.   
> Though this story will be about the path taken in Revelation, I thought it would be interesting to add things from Birthright (and maybe Conquest later). The information given here will (probably) be important to the two's relationship later in the story.


	4. Friendly Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xander tests Corrin in a battle of steel to see if she is strong enough to leave her tower after being there for 12 years. Familial bonding takes place among all the Nohrian royal siblings. However, Xander still ponders his latest nightmare.

_She isn't here yet._

I awaited the young princess on the rooftop of the fortress where she lay captive like a prisoner. Camilla, Leo, Elise, and I preferred not to think of it like that, but it really was like a prison for Corrin with all things considered. But that day was the day where if she proved her strength, Father would allow her to exit the godforsaken tower. That is, if she could actually get out of bed.

I stood by my steed, Sleipnir, and continued to wait. I could tell that Sleipnir was getting restless. 

"Corrin not here yet?" I heard a familiar voice call from behind me. 

Leo. My little brother had come to watch the test of strength for the little princess. When I turned around to face him, I noticed that his collar was flipped inside out; I had to hold back a smile for the time being, which wasn't terribly hard given my frustration with tardiness. 

"I'm here!"

Looking over Leo, I could see Corrin running up from the stairs that led to the top of the roof where we stood. She clearly had run from her room all the way up here without stopping as she could barely catch her breath when she stopped in front of me. "I'm here, I'm here," she panted, giving a few coughs here and there. 

"Sleeping in again, I see," I said, walking back to my horse and mounting him. I grabbed his reins and pulled out my practice sword from its sheath. Siegfried still stood at my side; it would have been cruel to have Corrin practice against me with her bronze sword while I had the sword of legend. "I'll be generous and let you catch your breath before we spar, little princess."

"No need," Corrin panted, her breathing becoming more even and calm. She unsheathed her sword and formed her attack stance. "I'll be fine."

"Alright, then," I replied, readying myself as well. "At your ready."

She came at me with a slash. I guarded while atop my horse and parried with a similar attack. Corrin managed to block the attack, but not without any harm. She left an opening, to which I took the opportunity to come in with another attack. At the last second, she tried to block, but the force behind my blade was stronger than a simple block with no strength behind it. The little princess staggered and eventually fell down onto the stony ground with her sword out of her hands. My strike may have been stronger than I had anticipated, but she should have learned to have a firm grip on her weapon.

"That's our brother for you," Leo said from a distance. "You won't beat the strongest knight in Nohr by sleeping all day, Corrin!"

She stayed on the ground for a bit, slowing her breathing once again. "Giving up so soon, Corrin?" I called out to her. "I expect more of you. You are a princess of Nohr! Pick up your sword and try again."

Corrin looked up at me from the ground. Her eyes at that moment reminded me of the day I met her: soft and timid. "But, Xander, I--"

"We train like this so that we can defend ourselves from our enemies," I told her. With the look on her face, I knew she wouldn't win the fight on sheer power alone. She needed motivation. Something to light a spark in her eyes. "Father has been tracking your progress. If you can't land a hit on me today...he may never permit you to leave the Northern Fortress. Ever." Hopefully this was the force she needed.

Over the years, she had only been outside the fortress maybe once or twice, and that got her punished. I don't recall the circumstances surrounding that incident, but I know she has been dying to go outside. In all honesty, so was I. So were we all. 

"What?! D-did he really say that?" Corrin cried. "That's insane!" Her demeanor completely changed, just as I had hoped. I could feel a sense of determination radiating from her expression, a fire burning in her eyes. Whenever the little princess became thus determined, nothing could stop her. 

"Motivated, are we? Then use that fire to best me in battle, little Princess. If you would see the outside world beyond the view from your window, defeat me. Prove that all of the time I've devoted to training you has not be in vain!"

As soon as I said those words, Corrin came at me with a ferocity the likes of which I hadn't seen in her before. Understandable. This was her last chance for freedom. I feel we all would die at that last chance for freedom from confinement. She slashed ferociously, but the same couldn't be said about her defense. As her elder brother, I was able to block her attacks with relative ease, but Corrin could not easily block my attacks. I saw an opening in her defense and slashed at her again, breaking her attempt at a parry. She fell to her knees, panting. I could see a little bit of blood coming from her right shoulder. I suppose I overdid it and actually hit her when that was not my intention. 

"Hmm, looks like that wound needs attention," I said. "In that case..." I could feel a power tugging at my body, like a thin rope was connecting me to the spot my horse was standing on. I knew a Dragon Vein rested below. Using my power, I tugged at the power source--the imaginary rope--and it revealed a glowing green spot where Corrin stood. That area now had the magical properties of restoration, of healing. 

"Ah! There was a Dragon Vein here?" the princess remarked. 

"Yes," said I. "You should have sensed it as well. The blood of dragons flows in your veins, as it does in all royals. You must learn to harness this draconic power wherever you may find it. Heal your wounds, Corrin, then find the courage to come at me again." After a few seconds, Corrin's right shoulder began to heal, the wound closing up and the blood slowly evaporating. "Good. Now that you've recovered some of your strength, try again!"

With that, Corrin came at me again with the same ferocity. With each blow, I blocked it. Eventually I came in to strike, but she successfully blocked my attack and came in charging. As I held my sword in a stance that would in theory block her attack, I saw her come at me and my mind suddenly went back to my dream--my nightmare--from the night prior. The surrounding situation was entirely different, but the feeling was still the same. She had the same amount of determination as she did within my dream. It shook me to the core. With my focus elsewhere, Corrin was successful in striking me near my shoulder, making me lose grip of the reins of Sleipnir and falling on my back. 

She won. Corrin bested me. I lay on the ground with my eyes towards the cloudy skies of Nohr. "Xander! Are you alright?" I could hear the little princess's voice coming closer. I turned my head and saw her racing towards me. "I am so sorry! I didn't think it would hit that hard!"

She knelt down beside me. Again, I could see a new look in her eyes, this time they were filled with a burning compassion. Though they were strange, her red eyes were very beautiful to look at. I gave her a smile.

"Well done, Corrin." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all! Sorry for the couple weeks of not posting! I got sick and that lasted a few days and then there were other things that have kept me super busy. But thank you for comments and help! I'm still trying to figure out how everything is going to work out, but I feel like that's going to be a chapter-by-chapter kind of thing.   
> Anyway, that's the chapter for chapter 1 (there will be an addition to it in the next chapter because I didn't want this chapter to be extremely long)! I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to let me know if you think there are things that need to be changed or added in future chapters. I appreciate constructive feedback!  
> Also, as a sidenote: I felt like naming Xander's horse like some of the wyvern riders, cavaliers, and maybe pegasus knights have named mounts. I mean, I think the crown prince of Nohr's horse should have a name, right? It's not the greatest name, but I named it after the horse in Norse mythology since things in Nohr have a way of going towards that. Let me know if you have a different name in mind or something because I'm not that attached to the name.   
> Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up the writing. :)


	5. A Change in Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their friendly sparring match, Xander, Corrin, and the others go and visit King Garon at Castle Krakenburg. It is there Corrin receives her first task: to kill the Hoshidan prisoners, Kaze and Rinkah. Corrin, after weakening them, refuses to execute them and gains a death threat from King Garon in return. In response, Xander offers to take up the task in order for Corrin's life to be spared. Leo seemingly kills Kaze and Rinkah, satisfying Garon. Xander, knowing that the two prisoners are still alive, shows mercy and allows them to leave peacefully, mostly due to Corrin's influence.

"Unbelievable..."

Corrin dared to defy Father. After being locked away at the fortress for the past decade, I suppose she did not have much experience with our father to know that he would kill her on sight if she defied his orders. Corrin refused to kill the Hoshidan prisoners, I'm guessing mostly due to her naivety and inexperience with war. However, deep down, I agreed with her. The prisoners, the ones named Kaze and Rinkah, were unarmed and had no more strength to fight back. Despite the fact that I wanted to let them live, they had to die.

"You would defy me directly, Corrin?!" Father raged, lifting up his tome, Ragnarok, as if he were ready to strike the princess down right then and there. I could not let that happen, not to Corrin. I could feel my heart beat faster with the rush of adrenaline from the chance of heartache I would receive if Father were to strike her down. I could not let another loved one be killed. Before I knew it, I placed my entire body in front of her to shield her from any attack.

"Father, please forgive her!" I said, almost on the verge of begging. "She doesn’t yet understand our situation…"

Father's expression lightened, but only barely. It was practically to the point of annoyance than rage. "Fine. Xander, you kill them. And if anyone gets in your way, kill them too."

I couldn't find the strength to move. I looked to my right, where Corrin was, and simply stared at her. Her eyes were not filled with fear, but with what I supposed as sorrow and a desire for mercy unto the Hoshidans. I felt torn. I knew by blood that Corrin was not Nohrian; she, herself, was a Hoshidan by birth. To kill Kaze and Rinkah felt like I was betraying the princess. 

"DO IT!" Garon cried. "KILL THEM ALL!"

I still hadn't unsheathed Siegfried, but with that command from Father, my instincts led me to grab the hilt of my sword. I turned to face Corrin. "Stand down, Corrin. If you don’t, I will be forced to--"

"No, Xander," said Corrin. "I won’t let you do this!" The princess pulled out Ganglari, the sword Father had just recently gifted her, and readied herself to fight me. My heart sank with the thought of her fighting me seriously. I knew that, with Siegfried at my side, she wouldn't stand a chance. Looking behind me, I saw Father eyeing us intently. If I had to resort to punishment, I at least had to pretend.

I swung my sword at her, to which she easily blocked. Again, I let out another strike. Again she blocked. "Why do you refuse, Corrin? You know the Hoshidans are our sworn enemies."

"I know, but…this is different. These people can’t fight anymore. Why not show mercy?"

"Please, Corrin," I heard Camilla say from a few feet away, "don’t fight him… My dear, sweet Corrin…"

"No no no!" Elise cried. "Leo, what should we do?"

Leo, holding his tome, Brynhildr, sighed. "Why does this fall to me?" Within a matter of seconds, his magic struck down Kaze and Rinkah, leaving them practically lifeless on the ground. I knew they weren't dead; Leo was a lot better at acting than I, especially with the help of magic. "Father, I have dispatched our enemies on behalf of my softhearted sister."

"Hmph," King Garon grunted.

"I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment of her…"

"Enough! I will consider the matter later." With those words, he left the royal court and left his children behind. I looked over at Corrin, who was whispering to Leo about something, certainly not loud enough for me to hear. I walked over to them, placing myself in between the two of them to prevent anymore whispering nonsense.

"Enough, both of you," I commanded. "The battle is over." The princess said nothing. Sometimes Corrin could frustrate me to no end, but, in a rather strange way, it was...enjoyable, in a sense. I originally had guessed it was because I treated her as my little sister. "Mark my words, Corrin… One day, an act of kindness may be the death of you."

She looked directly into my eyes. "Perhaps, but if I’m kind. I will die without regrets." I could see she was dead serious about her conviction. I couldn't help but let out a faint smile. 

"…Well said." With a snap of my fingers, I summoned one of the royal guards. "Guard! I would examine the prisoners’ belongings. Bring their remains to my quarters."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corrin was with me when I released the two prisoners. They were both lucky I loved Corrin more than I feared Father. As the two of them disappeared into the night, I turned to the woman beside me. "I want you to be more careful when you disobey Father like that."

"I know," she mumbled. "But I couldn't just let two unarmed prisoners be unnecessarily slaughtered like lambs! It's not right!" At that moment, I could see tears swelling up from her eyes. 

"Corrin..."

"I'm sorry, Xander," she said, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry I'm crying like a baby, but I just...I just...feel so frustrated and conflicted. I don't want to kill anyone, not the enemy, not friends...not anyone."

As more tears strolled down her rosy cheeks, I lifted my right hand and wiped away a tear with my thumb while cupping her face with my palm. With no warning, she buried her head on my armored body. I sighed and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel my heart beat a little faster than normal. The inside of my chest felt warm. It was a wonderful feeling. I had supposed this was what being an older brother felt like. Even though none of my other siblings made me feel this way, I thought Corrin was a special case, especially since we had no blood relation. 

"Shhhh," I said, calming her down. Her whimpering stopped and her breathing steadied as we continued to embrace. 

"Everything will be alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHH, OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO SORRY ABOUT POSTING THIS SO LATE. I just got back to school and it has been CRAZY. But I am going to try my best to write at least one chapter a week. Hopefully this won't be too bad LOL. Anyway, we're slowly getting to the good stuff. Thanks for all the support and comments! I love reading them! :)  
> Anyway, if you have any suggestions or help or constructive feedback of any kind, I'll be glad to accept it! Sometimes I make little errors and I need you guys to catch them for me.  
> Thanks so much, everyone!


	6. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin goes on her first mission for Garon, but is eventually ambushed by the Hoshidans. Xander and the rest of the siblings come to the rescue, but the little princess finds herself separated from them and, through various circumstances, ends up being captured by the Hoshidans and brought back to the Hoshidan capital.  
> Xander is mortified when he hears the news. He, Camilla, Leo, and Elise all march to Hoshido not only because of Garon's orders, but because they were all worried for their sister. As Xander beckons Corrin to come back to them, he is further shocked by her response.

"We’ll follow close behind."

Those were the last words I said to her before we lost her. How could I have been so careless?! I should have stayed by her side to assure her safety. When I found out she had been kidnapped by the Hoshidans, memories of the day she came to us filled my mind. She would know. She would know we weren't her blood siblings. I never could have imagined an outcome quite like this one.

Camilla and her wyvern sat by me near the front lines of the soon-to-be battlefield. We were to march later that day and storm the capital, even if that meant encountering Corrin. 

"...Are you sure about this, Xander?" Camilla asked. I could see the discontentment in her eyes. When we agreed to lead the march, we knew that Corrin would be there. The only part of that wondrous reunion that would bring despair would have been if Corrin refused to come home with us, if those blasted Hoshidans brainwashed her into thinking that family only had to do with blood. My thoughts turned to Elise and Leo, who were somewhere behind and away from direct harm's way. I loved all of my siblings equally, but I knew I had a promise to keep when it came to Corrin; I had to keep her safe, no matter the costs. Had I already broken that promise? Was there really any point in trying to keep it further, even if I hadn't broken it? 

 _Enough of this nonsense,_ I thought to myself. _There's no place for my heart on the battlefield._  

With a motion of my arm, I led the charge onto Hoshido. Father told us that their barrier that protected them from invasion had been nullified, thus allowing us an opportunity to attack. I dared not ask how such a great barrier had been taken down. 

As the Nohrian soldiers charged ahead, I could see many of the Hoshidan warriors fighting on the other side. Their armor and weapons were especially unique. As one Hoshidan soldier came up to attack, I parried his sword movement and slashed him with Siegfried. Once I was in the clear, I continued forward atop my horse, able to see much of the battle and bloodshed. It was a terrible sight, one I have seen many times in different lights. One could never truly get used to the spilling of blood, but I had to hold my ground. For my country. For Nohr.

Closing the distance, I saw a young man in red Hoshidan armor, absolutely slaughtering Nohrian soldiers left and right. The sword he possessed was no ordinary weapon; lightning and sparks flew from it with every lunge and slash this man made. Once he had cleared the nearby area of Nohrian soldiers, he looked directly into my eyes. 

"Nohrian general!" he cried. "You face the high prince of Hoshido, Ryoma! I challenge you to single combat!"

Seeing the amount of soldiers we lost to his hands, I knew I had no choice. "I shall accept your challenge,  _High Prince_ ," I said. I readied Siegfried. "But I am no general; I am crown prince Xander of Nohr!" With a pull of the reigns, my horse began to gallop, even leaping down from a steep hill. As I pressed forward, I slashed a few Hoshidans back. This Ryoma continued to run toward me, and I braced myself, ready to take whatever blow he would give me and pay it forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, it's come to this," I told her as I prepared to strike. "I will still forgive you if you repent now and return with us to Nohr."

" No... I can't," Corrin said. "I've made my decision. I will not side with anyone."

"I see... Then you leave me no choice but to take you back by force."

"Xander!" As much as I did not want to harm the little princess, I did not want her mind to be tainted with thoughts of idealism with the loss of reality. She was to come home to us--come home to me--one way or another. Our blades clashed, but I had already proven I was more than a match for her. I had easily overpowered her, but I knew Corrin was holding back. 

She held me off with her blade as I continued to push against it with mine. "Why do you resist, Corrin?!" I cried, not realizing at the time that I was on the verge of tears because of how much my heart ached for her. "Are we not your family?"

I continued to push against her as I saw her legs begin to shake under the pressure of Siegfried. "Xander, you know how I feel!" she said. "But you, Camilla, Leo, and Elise aren't the only ones I care about! I refuse to fight my family, blood or otherwise!" With that, she used her sword to maneuver around mine, allowing Siegfried to strike the ground. "Jakob, now!" she cried.

I hadn't even noticed her butler. When I turned to look, the one named Jakob delivered a devastating blow to our wyvern captain, knocking him out and removing one of our army's leaders from battle. I couldn't continue fighting when our army could go into disarray. Azura, the one princess from Nohr who became a princess of Hoshido, came to the aid of Corrin. 

"...Tch. Why, Corrin?" I growled. "Why would you turn on us this way? Even if we aren't blood related, don't you feel any loyalty at all?"

"Xander!" the princess cried. "I just want you to listen to what I'm saying!"

"Corrin," Ryoma interjected. "Why would you betray Hoshido? Have you lost all sense of justice?"

Corrin said, "You don't understand, Ryoma! I haven't betrayed you!"

Mixed feelings broiled inside of me. I felt hot from the anger and feelings of betrayal that came from Corrin's decision. I remembered the day I met the little princess, how I was one of the only people who greeted her, one of the only ones who made her feel like she had a family. Now all of that was being thrown away. I hated it. I hated feeling this way. I felt so vulnerable, as if my emotions were running through fire while I tried to keep calm. "I...always thought of you as a sister..." I said. I could barely get my thoughts together, so I had no idea what else I could say.  

"...Curse it all. Spread word among the troops. Corrin has turned traitor! From this moment forth, she is our enemy and should be captured on sight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHH I AM SORRY, GUYS!!! I LIED AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO. I AM SO SO SORRY! I honestly have no idea when next chapters will be, but I hope I can be more consistent. I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the pace once I get to the later chapters.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it.  
> As always, don't hesitate to leave me constructive criticism or some feedback that will help me make the story better. The story will get better, I promise.  
> ((I totally started writing this on the 26th, which was Xander's birthday, but it made me so sad that I couldn't finish it until now T-T))  
> Happy birthday, beautiful husbando! There will be a birthday chapter later, I'm pretty sure.  
> Thanks, everyone!


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